The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to consider a move to resurrect an Arizona law that would have disqualified abortion providers from receiving public funding for other medical services.

That ruling was upheld last August by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which agreed with U.S. District Judge Neil Wake that the law violated federal Medicaid law by not allowing patients to freely choose a qualified medical provider.

In 2012 . . . state legislators amended the law [funding Medicaid] to say any organization that also provides abortions cannot be a “qualified provider.” Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, who sponsored the legislation, said any money the government gives Planned Parenthood to pay for other expenses frees up funds for abortions [-- federal and state laws prohibit taxpayer-funded abortion].

Judge Marsha Berzon, writing for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, pointed out that the law says those enrolled in Medicaid, which includes the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, to get the services they need from any qualified provider. And Berzon said there is no evidence that Planned Parenthood medical staffers are not “qualified.”

In seeking Supreme Court review, Attorney General Tom Horne said states have a constitutional right to decide for themselves who is “qualified” to provide family planning services. He said that is not limited to the medical ability of staffers.

. . . Bryan Howard, president of Planned Parenthood Arizona, whose funding was at issue, called the ruling “a victory for Arizona women and their families.” Howard said the legislation amounted to political interference with health care choices by women.

The [2012] Whole Woman’s Health Funding Priority Act of Arizona (HB 2800) de-funded abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood of state family planning money. The bill prioritizes family planning funds away from abortion-centered businesses like Planned Parenthood to entities that provide women with comprehensive health care. The measure prohibits the state or any local government from using public money to contract with an organization that includes abortions.

“Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the work of abortionists. Arizona should be free to enforce its public interest against the taxpayer funding of abortion and in favor of the best health care for women, which is what this law sought to do. We are disappointed that the Supreme Court did not decide to weigh in on that principle. Arizonans deserve the best policies and laws possible to protect both their money and their health,” Aden said.

The State House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a measure that would allow state health department officials to conduct unannounced inspections of abortion clinics. The clinic inspections now require warrants, and Democrats argued that the legislation would empower public officials to harass abortion providers. Republicans said the bill would ensure that abortion providers were following state and federal laws.

The bill, which passed in the state House of Representatives 34-22, would delete a provision in state law mandating that an administrative warrant be obtained from a judge to inspect any of the nine licensed abortion clinics in Arizona. A warrant is not required to inspect other clinics and medical facilities.

If the surprise inspection measure is ultimately signed into law, Arizona would join 10 other states that allow for such surprise inspections, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit sexual health organization. Only one Republican voted against the bill.

The 34-22 vote for HB 2284 came after almost an hour of debate about whether the legislation is needed and whether it is even legal. But in the end the majority concluded there was no reason for the special requirement for the Department of Health Services to get consent or a warrant for an abortion clinic when it does not need to do so for any other health facility.

“I call this bill ‘The Women’s Health Protection Act,’” said Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Peoria, sponsor of the measure that was crafted by the anti-abortion Center for Arizona Policy. Lesko called it “amazing’’ that only abortion clinics have managed to escape having unannounced inspections.

Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, defended the legislation as the government performing its role of protecting women and children.

Abortion providers have filed suit against Arizona to block a new rule that limits the use of medications to induce abortions.

Restrictions on similar medication-induced abortions have been enacted in other states and made their way through the courts with mixed results. Courts have ruled in favor of similar provisions in Ohio and Texas, while judges in Oklahoma and North Dakota have struck down such measures.

In Arizona, a 2012 law states that when an abortion doctor performs a medication abortion, the doctor must follow the Food and Drug Administration’s instructions provided on the drug label.

“It is a shame that when Planned Parenthood can’t win public opinion, they try to use the courts to impose their will and bail out their abortion business,” said Cathi Herrod, [The Center for Arizona Policy] president.

The abortion drug is responsible for the deaths of dozens of women worldwide, including several in the United States alone, and it has injured at least 1,100 women in the United States alone as of 2006 figures from the Food and Drug Administration. Yet, the abortion business has filed suit to void an Arizona law to require FDA protocols be followed when dispensing the dangerous abortion drug RU 486 (mifepristone).

The FDA, with no fanfare, released its April 2011 report showing 14 women in the United States alone have died from using the mifepristone abortion drug and 2,207 women have been injured by it.

The FDA figures also reveal that abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood are still misusing the abortion drug.

Despite the FDA indicating, “Administration of mifepristone and misoprostol is contraindicated in patients with confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the uterus,” the abortion drug was given to women in 58 cases where they had an ectopic pregnancy at that time.

An FDA panel eventually investigated the deaths and found that the vaginal, rather than oral, use of the abortion drug was likely contributing to the deaths. Planned Parenthood had been going against the FDA guidelines on using the abortion drug and changed its protocols to allow for oral use after women died at their facilities.